Developing coping tools: Beth’s story
We offer safe and supportive housing for young people to gain confidence, develop coping tools and undertake training, as we support them towards independent living.
Beth came to our Hampshire home for young people following an on-going family home issue with her step-dad.
Beth struggled with binge drinking and had been receiving support from a drug and alcohol service before arriving with us. Whilst living with Alabarè, she attended external counselling with Community Mental Health Teams (CHMT). Despite this, she struggled for a time to control her drinking, which set her recovery back a few months. Beth tried to gain control of drinking alcohol by isolating herself away from the outside world, avoiding pubs, restaurants, and social gatherings with friends.
Beth began to participate with positive keyworker sessions where they discussed experiencing “blips” and seeing these more as a normal part of the course of recovery. Together they worked on coping tools, what a healthy relationship looked like, and discovering that isolation from the world wasn’t the answer. Following the sessions, Beth can now socialise and is mindful when she is drinking alcohol and now feels in control of the amount of alcohol she drinks.
Beth is now becoming a positive and confident individual. Although in the past she had attended university, she had had to withdraw from the course for personal reasons, but now she feels she is ready to resume studies and complete her course online.
In the meantime, Beth is working as a hotel receptionist and has had vital sessions on budgeting, coping tools when socialising, and independent living skills. As a result, we’re delighted to say that Beth is soon going to move on to her own independent accommodation. Beth said: “I am so much better at coping now I have tools to help me.”
Like to read more stories from clients around our service?
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Read Debbie's story
Ed found themselves on the brink of homelessness after returning from Japan, where they had been studying until the pandemic.
Read Ed's story